Inheriting a Taoist temple, the story begins with Wu Zetian offering incense.

Chapter 181 Li Shimin: I Actually Died from Taking Medicine Randomly?! [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

Early in the morning, Zhou Yi got up and went to the Zhongtian Hall to offer incense to the statue of the god. Then he went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for the day.

After Xin Qiji left last night, Huo Qubing also left with a bunch of pots and pans and various supplies. Those soup pots were much better than the cauldrons in the army, and he planned to replace them all.

Just as the porridge was starting to cook, Aunt Gongsun, wearing a little yellow duck pajama, came in:
"Master, could you make some egg pancakes this morning? I overheard Sister Meiniang talking in her sleep last night."

Zhou Yi looked at her and asked:
"Is it your sister Meiniang who wants to eat it, or do you want to eat it?"

"Oh, that's not important. We sisters are all one family. What vegetables do you need? I'll go pick some from the garden right now."

Zhou Yi took five or six eggs out of the refrigerator and pointed to the vegetable garden, saying:

"There are a few gourds on the wall. Pick a tender one and use it to make vegetable pancakes. Also pick a few green peppers and I'll make some green pepper pancakes."

"Yes, yes, I'll go right away!"

Just as Aunt Gongsun was about to leave in her slippers, she suddenly remembered her small refrigerator:
"Master, has my refrigerator arrived yet?"

"I've already spoken with the owner of the appliance store. We'll go pick out some appliances after breakfast, and while we're at it, we'll also go to the substation's business hall to get you a set of solar panels."

Zhou Yi originally wanted to buy an ultra-small refrigerator that could be powered by a power bank, but after chatting with Li Yongkang from the appliance store, he discovered that small-capacity household refrigerators are also very energy-efficient, consuming less than one kilowatt-hour per day.

Since that's the case, Zhou Yi returned the small refrigerator and planned to buy Gongsun Da Niang a 200-liter double-door refrigerator, a set of household solar charging panels, and a super-large capacity outdoor power supply so that she wouldn't have to worry about electricity for a while.

When Aunt Gongsun heard this, it was even better than she had imagined. She happily hummed "Love Song of the West Sea" and went to pick gourds.

By the time she brought over the bottle gourd and green peppers, Li Bai had already started practicing his sword in the courtyard, while Wu Meiniang was also reading a book, studying modern grammar and literary knowledge.

After breakfast, Li Bai stayed at Zhongtian Palace, while Zhou Yi drove Wu Meiniang and Gongsun Da Niang to the town. At Li Yongkang's appliance store, they selected two 253-liter three-door refrigerators.

One platform of the One Yuan Temple in the Kaiyuan world, and one platform of the Taiji Palace in the Zhenguan world.

When Huo Qubing's army returns to Chang'an, we'll arrange a set for Liu Che as well. This guy has expanded so much territory for China; he deserves to enjoy it too.

After paying, Li Yongkang showed Zhou Yi the new generic outdoor power supplies he had just received. They were incredibly cheap, and Zhou Yi hesitated to buy them. However, seeing that they all came with certificates, he decided to buy a set to give it a try.

At worst, we can just stick a good luck charm on the front of the power supply later. We can't control scientific matters, but we can certainly deal with metaphysics!
However, to prevent any accidents from happening to the equipment at Li Yongkang's place, after leaving the appliance store, Zhou Yi went to the substation to buy a set of state-owned outdoor power supply and household power generation panels from Wu Aimin.

The cheaper set is kept at Yiyuan Temple, where Li Bai can put up amulets for peace at any time. The set for home use is given to Li Shimin. As long as he doesn't take it apart for fun, it should last for three to five years without any problems.

As soon as I got back to the mountain, Li Yongkang came to deliver the goods: two refrigerators and an outdoor power supply.

Li Yongkang said:
"If it's easy to use, just say the word. I approved five sets in one go and used you as advertising material."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yi said:

"Don't sell it yet. A group of fellow Daoists are coming to my place soon to go deep into the mountains to look at the feng shui. This set might not be enough."

Upon hearing this, Li Yongkang immediately assured him:
"Don't worry, Xiao Yi. Even if Zhao Wei and the others lie on the ground rolling around and crying, I won't sell to them. I'll keep them all for you, and I'll sell the rest to others."

Zhouyi: "..."

You look down on the top excavator operator in Yunwu Town so much, aren't you afraid he'll come knocking on your door?

After Li Yongkang left, Zhou Yi took out a peace talisman and pasted it on the front of the outdoor power supply. It looked rather abstract, with a blend of science and metaphysics.

He unloaded the household solar panels from the car, opened the box, assembled them at the entrance of the main hall, and connected them to an outdoor power source. Surprisingly, they had already begun to generate electricity slowly.

Unfortunately, the sun wasn't too strong yet, so the actual power generation from the solar panels was a bit low.

Zhou Yi then moved Li Yongkang's generator set to the entrance of the Wenxuan King's Palace and assembled it. This generator set, which was said to be four kilowatts, was only slightly taller than the three kilowatts in the substation, but it was enough for Gongsun Da Niang and Li Bai to use household appliances such as refrigerators and fans.

With everything prepared, and Zhou Yi explaining its usage, Li Bai and Gongsun Da Niang eagerly packed a bunch of cold drinks and snacks like mini crispy cones and left Hunyuan Palace.

Wu Zetian also planned to return:
"I will go back for five days to settle things there, and then teach Mingda some modern knowledge. When I return, I will accompany you to consecrate the Earth Goddess."

Zhou Yi nodded: "Okay, go back and get some rest. Don't just focus on studying, and don't worry about things here. I'm fine."

Wu Meiniang nodded, went back to her room to change into her blue Taoist robe, put the books she wanted to read into her backpack, and then returned to the world of the Tang Dynasty's Zhenguan era with a refrigerator, a generator, and some cookware.

As soon as he appeared, Li Mingda, who was sitting cross-legged studying in the Yiyuan Hall, jumped up:

"Sister Meiniang, you're finally back! I've transplanted the eggplants and peppers I planted according to the method taught in the book, and I even pulled up a lot of flowers and plants in the process... By the way, Sister Meiniang, yesterday I went to the West Inner Garden and found that the Gaochang white cotton planted there looks very similar to the cotton in the book."

Wu Zetian immediately became interested upon hearing this:

"Take me to see it later. If it really is cotton, we'll plant it extensively. Cotton is a treasure from top to bottom. It can be made into cotton clothes and quilts to keep warm, and it can also be spun into thread and woven into cloth. Cotton seeds can also be pressed for oil. It has many uses."

Li Mingda's eyes lit up:
"Wouldn't that help so many poor people? That's wonderful! I'm going to transplant them all to my field, and nobody is allowed to touch them!"

After finishing this matter, Wu Zetian patted the refrigerator and said:

"The immortal was worried that you wouldn't be able to drink iced drinks, so he specially bought you a refrigerator. It can freeze ice cubes and also put perishable fruits and vegetables in it, which can be preserved for several days."

Upon hearing that the immortal had spent money on him again, Little Sizi looked extremely apologetic.

“Sister Meiniang, is Sizi particularly useless? Not only can she not help the Immortal Master, but she also causes him a lot of trouble... No, I want my father to give all the taxes from Jinyang to the Immortal Master. If he goes hungry, Sizi will feel sorry for him.”

Li Mingda's title was Princess Jinyang, which theoretically meant that she could draw upon any amount of tax revenue collected from Jinyang.

Wu Zetian moved the refrigerator aside, plugged it into the outdoor power outlet, then opened the freezer and took out a small cone of ice cream that Zhou Yi had put in a few minutes earlier.
"The Immortal Master praised you for having a compassionate heart that cares for all people. He bought you ice cream specially and said that by the end of the year at the latest, he would take you to Hunyuan Palace. There, you can not only keep an eye on the Tang Dynasty, but also intervene in other worlds and help more people. Sizi, do you want to go?"

Li Mingda nodded heavily:

"I want to, I dream about it... Sister Meiniang, once I go to Hunyuan Palace, will you never come back?"

The little girl didn't yearn for the life of immortals; instead, she wanted to exchange her father and brother's good health and the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty by doing Zhou Yi's laundry and cooking.

Just as Wu Meiniang was about to speak, the sound of a palace maid bowing to His Majesty came from the doorway. Then, Li Shimin, with his protruding belly, strolled leisurely into the Yiyuan Hall.

When he saw the refrigerator, he subconsciously rubbed his eyes.
"What is this?"

Little Sizi tore open the packaging of the small crispy cone and presented it to Li Shimin with both hands:
"This is ice cream bestowed by the immortal, but it's too cold. My daughter is worried that her body can't handle it. Could you please taste it to see if it's salty enough?"

Li Shimin felt a warmth in his heart, and tears almost fell. Raising those few good-for-nothing brats was really not as good as raising a couple more daughters.

He took a bite and found it cool and sweet, instantly relieving the heat coursing through his body.
"This item is quite nice, it suits my taste...Meiniang, I received a message yesterday that Li Yibiao and Wang Xuance have arrived in India and received a warm welcome...Will India become an ally of our Great Tang in the future?"

Wu Zetian knew immediately what Li Shimin wanted to know:
"If you want to know about the future, I can tell you... This trip to India went very smoothly. Three years later, you sent Wang Xuance to India for the second time. Just then, a coup occurred in India. Arjuna, who usurped the throne, detained the Tang envoy. Wang Xuance escaped alone and went to Tibet and Nepal to borrow elite troops. He destroyed Arjuna and brought back a monk who claimed to be two hundred years old. He made you a magic pill. After you ate it, you soon passed away."

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin almost dropped the small crispy cone in his hand, and Li Mingda's eyes were also filled with tears, fearing that this would come true.

Wu Zetian continued:

"According to the course of history, Princess Jinyang died a month ago. You were heartbroken and decided to personally lead an expedition against Goguryeo. Now the course of history has changed, and the destruction of India by Wang Xuance can be avoided... After the fall of India, Tibet rapidly developed and grew stronger, and then began to harass the Longxi region, engaging in a protracted war with the Tang Dynasty that lasted for hundreds of years."

Li Shimin never imagined history would turn out this way, nor did he expect his own death to be so absurd. He rubbed his beloved daughter's head, took a bite of his crispy cone, and his mind raced:
"India should be kept. If necessary, we should provoke conflict between it and Tibet, while our Great Tang sits back and watches the tigers fight... I will immediately send a letter to the envoy, instructing Wang Xuance to stay and support the rebellious side. If necessary, he can provide strategic assistance, etc. We should try to cultivate India into a vicious dog, occasionally harassing Tibet, so that the Tibetans have no time to look east."

Wu Zetian suggested:

"The deputy envoy of the Great Tang has rashly supported the usurper, which is bad for the reputation of our Great Tang. We can send a letter to Li Yibiao, asking him to find a reason to expel Wang Xuance from the mission. We can also send Wang Xuance a secret letter, asking him to support Arunasva to the throne. If Arunasva is not up to the task, Wang Xuance can become king in the local area and make it a vassal state of our Great Tang."

Li Shimin's eyes lit up. Wasn't this the route he had taken when he arranged Ke'er before?
If Wang Xuance becomes the King of India, the Tang Dynasty will be caught in a pincer movement against Tibet... This is a good thing, and we should quickly discuss it with Wuji, Xuanling, and others.

Just as Li Shimin was about to leave, a question suddenly occurred to him:
"This plan is fraught with danger. What if something happens to Wang Xuance?"

Wu Zetian flicked her whisk:
"As long as Wang Xuance dares to take the first step, Hunyuan Palace will protect him for life!"

(End of this chapter)